France Officially Bans Social Media for Children Under 15

The French Parliament has officially approved a law banning access to social media for children and adolescents under the age of 15, television station BFMTV reported on Tuesday. The government is targeting 1 September for the new regulation to come into force. The bill was passed by a vote of 279 in favour and 81 against. The new legislation requires all social media platforms to verify the age of users and block access for those who have not yet reached the age of 15. “I promised this, and the vote has been held: from the next school year, social media will be banned for children under 15. Thank you to the legislators,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on his X account. The French move extends the list of countries that are beginning to limit the influence of social media on the younger generation. Australia previously banned the use of the live-streaming platform Twitch for children under 16 from 10 December 2025, followed by similar restrictions for other major social media platforms. Several other countries, including Denmark, Spain, Greece, Turkey, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, have also announced plans to implement similar policies.